Charles Bates

How would you like to have your own personal robot? If research is successful with Willow Garage Inc. (www.willowgarage.com) and Stanford University, personal robots that perform everyday tasks to support and service people may soon become a reality.

Willow Garage has announced an agreement with Stanford University to develop the next generation of personal robots, and the company is donating $850,000 to Stanford’s STAIR (Stanford Artificial Intelligence Robot) project. Two key Stanford engineers have also joined Willow Garage’s staff to further tighten the integration between the two organizations.